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Origin and history

Bagneux Castle, located in Bournan (Indre-et-Loire), is a castle built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is distinguished by its square base surrounded by four enclosure towers, two of which remain today, with conical roofs in so-called "pepper slate". These towers retain their mâchicoulis, while the sled windows, pierced in facades and towers, bear witness to a dual vocation: military and residential. The estate, formerly called Baniolus (816) and then Bagneux de Bournan (17th century), belonged to the fief of Sainte-Maure. Guillaume de Beygnoux (or de Bagneux), the first known lord, lived there in 1331.

The fortress then passed into the hands of the Puy family, before being transmitted to Louis de Bourbon, the natural son of Duke Charles I of Bourbon and Jeanne du Puy. By marriage, the land fell to Jean, seigneur du Fau, master of the king's hotel, via Jeanne de Bourbon, half sister of Louis. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the families of Benais, Le Fèvre de Caumartin, de la Varenne and Dangé d'Orsay succeeded each other as lords of the place. The castle, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1927, was also the scene of a notable event in 1912: President Armand Fallières attended the great manoeuvres of the West, before receiving the Grand Duke Nicolas of Russia.

Architecturally, the castle once communicated by light signals with Loches or the Tower of Wales, according to tradition. The higher north tower allowed a view to the nearby fortresses. The mâchicoulis, intact on the two remaining towers and partially preserved along the round path, recall its defensive role. In the 19th century, the site suffered degradation: a stone staircase was destroyed around 1830, and a fire caused by lightning ravaged the attic around 1850. The other two towers, now shaved, originally completed this fortified quadrilateral.

The castle of Bagneux illustrates the evolution of castles into seigneurial residences, while keeping traces of their initial military function. His inscription as a Historic Monument in 1927 underscores his heritage importance, linked to his hybrid architecture and his turbulent history, marked by noble figures and national events.

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